Thursday, February 23, 2017

Fifty-three years ago tonight, The Beatles made their final of their first three appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. This appearance was actually pre-recorded two weeks earlier; they were already back home in England when the show was broadcast. They played Twist and Shout, Please Please Me and I Want To Hold Your Hand.
And in those days, of course, there were no VCRs or PVRs. There was no taping of tv broadcasts. The only thing you could was tape the audio out of the earphone jack if you had the right equipment, or take pictures of your tv. And fifty-three years ago tonight, that's what my dad was doing, no doubt encouraged by my older sisters.
Apparently, there was more than just the thought of having a memento of Beatlemania that prompted my sisters to enlist dad and his camera on this long-ago evening. One sister told me recently that she sold prints at school during the weeks after the show at 25 cents each. And yes, her sales results proved that Paul was the most popular.